Chart choosing

The charts are split into different groups, based on their main use. Each of the groups represent a type of relation “you would like to show“. Read further below for more explanation. Click the images to continue to the chart groups.

Show the comparison between categories

When you want to show the comparison between categories A and B. Category comparison is used when you are comparing nominal data. For example names of people, departments or products. You are looking at only one moment in time.

For example if “you would like to show …“

… the total revenue generated by the members of your sales department over a year, you can use a barchart.

… the outcome of a questionnaire that has answers as ‘like’ and ‘unline’, you can use a diverging stacked barchart.

… the year to date value of different KPI’s in relation to their target you can use a bulletgraph.

Show the development over time or a trend

When you want show the change of category A and B over time.

For example if “you would like to show …“

… the revenue per month generated by the members of your sales department over the last quarter, you can use a linechart.

… the ranking of a sports competition is changed to last year, you can use a slopegraph.

… how a a single KPI’s scores better or worse then its target, for every single month in the last year, you can use a deviation column chart.

Show the part to whole relation

When you want to show how A, B and C add up to the total of ABC.

For example if “you would like to show …“

… the market for sportcars is split into different car brands, you can use a 100% barchart.

… to what subpage of your website the viewers of your homepage go to, you can use a sankey diagram.

… the percentage of energy left in your phone, you can use an image fill.

Add Your Heading Text Here

When you want to show how A, B and C relate to each other.

For example if “you would like to show …“

… that the colors red and blue exist as a single color, but if you combine them, you’ll get purple, then you can use a Venn diagram.

… what the outcome of a series of choices can be, you can use a flowchart.

… how the ranking of teams change over the duration of a competition, you can use a bumpchart.

Show the distribution of your dataset

When you want to show how often A, B and C appear in the dataset.

For example if “you would like to show …“

… how often the letters ABCHRT appear in the word barchart, you can use a dot matrix

… how the differences in salaries are between the different age groups in a company, you can use a box plot

Show the correlation between data elements

When you want to show the correlation between A and B.

For example if “you would like to show …“

… the correlation between the length of a person and the arm span, you can use a scatterplot.

Other

When none of the above apply.

Note: ChartGuide poster 3.5 shows maps as part of the “other” chart group. In the future, Geography will be added as a new group. Including maps and other visuals to show geographical relations.